Category: Health of the Republic
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Knowing is Half the Battle
I was cruising TechDirt and saw a neat post on “Is The Federal Government The Most Interesting Tech Startup For 2009?” The idea is that the recent data.gov initiative has led to an outpouring of with-it and effective apps allowing anyone to get a handle on the vast trove of information compiled by the federal…
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“We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it.”
In general, I’m not overly impressed with the Presidential Saturday radio address (now of course really a YouTube address). But I liked today‘s, probably because it resonates with something I’ve said before (twice, even). Happy Birthday, America.
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Health of the Republic: Reset to 50%
It’s been a while since I’ve updated this ticker. And it remains completely arbitrary, of course. But with a new administration taking hold of the reins, it’s time for some (cautious) optimism about the restoration of the Republic. I have genuine high hopes for Barack Obama and his people. I think this is a smart,…
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Worst. President. EVER.
I know it’s early to ring in with the verdict of history and I know there’s room for reasonable debate. But I feel pretty sure that this will indeed be the epitaph of George Walker Bush, 43rd President of the United States (to our everlasting chagrin and shame). Hopefully the crimes committed by he and…
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America the Beautiful
A stirring rendition, courtesy of Beyoncé at HBO’s “We Are One” Inauguration Concert.
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Words Fail Me
From the “sunset interview” in People (as quoted at Shakesville): Which moments from the last eight years do you revisit most often? THE PRESIDENT: I definitely think about the families I’ve met of the fallen soldiers—about the compassion, love and determination of the families, to make sure that the Commander-in-Chief hears their stories and knows…
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Dawn Breaks
A few minutes ago, Fox News — Fox News! — called the Presidential race for Senator Barack Obama. By now most networks have agreed, and apparently Senator John McCain has conceded the race. Wow. It’s going to take a while to absorb this. Words like “historic occasion” don’t cut it. This was an epochal moment…
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Why Bother to Vote?
I wrote this at the request of my friend Maureen Leming, who is also Director of Annual Giving and Communications, and who wanted to send it out to the local media. No one bit, but I like it enough that I want it out there. So, self-publishing to the rescue! Why Bother to Vote? I…
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One month to go…
… until the US Presidential election. Barack Obama seems to have the momentum now, gaining about 1 point in national tracking polls every three days. Nate Silver at 538 has a model predicting that Senator Obama will win about 340 electoral votes — over the required total by 70, a landslide by any measure. So…
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It’s Funny Because It’s True…
… and it hurts so much for exactly the same reason: This cartoon neatly sums up the amazing failure of American democracy over the past few years.